Show and Tell
by jeytonlover
Summary: “I want to show you how I feel. I want to tell you how I feel.”


**I have absolutely no idea where this came from other than the fact that I was listening to music on my computer and this song came on. The beginning of it just kind of screamed "Write Dasey" to me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD, John Mayer or "Back to You".**

**OH, Everyone needs to wish Brandi (bsloths) a happy birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRANDI!**

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_She stood there, wrapped in his arms, waiting for his response to her words, words that she had been holding in for far too long, but finally spoke because she felt as if she would suffocate if she didn't verbalize them outwardly._

_But all she heard in return from him was silence and she could feel the tears welling in her eyes. And finally she couldn't take it anymore and pulled away from him, leaving him standing there panicked at what had just happened._

_Why? Why was it so freaking hard to give her what she wanted? All he had to do was open his mouth and he was sure the words would have spilled out naturally. He felt it, he really did. But actually showing her and especially telling her, those were entirely different things all together. _

That memory had haunted him every day and kept him up every night for the past two weeks.

They had both come home at the first of June, having completed their first years at their respected universities and somehow, a year apart had helped them see each other in a new light.

They had grown closer over the Christmas break and had found themselves emailing and texting quite a bit during the spring semester.

And by the time finals were through he found himself looking forward to going home more than he had ever imagined possible, and that was largely due to the fact that Casey would be spending the summer there too.

They had spent most of their summer doing almost everything together. Emily and Sam had both stayed at their universities so they could keep their current jobs, so it was a natural progression that they spent more and more time with each other.

But more and more time just meant more and more feelings for Derek and soon he was overwhelmed. The closer the fall semester got, the more he felt he needed to distance himself from her. He couldn't take the thought of knowing that he had become so dependent on some one, that so much of his happiness was derived from spending time with one individual and now, that was going to all be stripped away. His coping mechanism kicked in and now his stupidity had led him to this point.

They had actually been right here when it had happened. He had been sitting on their back porch swing, just looking up and admiring the stars when all of a sudden she had appeared and sat down next to him. They sat that way for a few moments in total silence before he felt her reach out and take his hand. She turned slightly in her seat so that she could look at him and it took everything he had to look back at her. It was such an intense, intimate moment and those were things that he just wasn't good at. She bit her bottom lip for a moment as if contemplating her words carefully. And then finally she had quietly said, "I'm really going to miss you. I can't imagine that in just a couple of weeks, I'm not going to have you in my life everyday. Derek I can't leave here this summer without you knowing how I really feel."

He immediately felt that ball of dread and fear that had been slowly growing in the pit of his stomach throughout the summer increase its size ten fold. He had instinctively jerked his hand from hers and jumped off the swing.

He could immediately see the hurt flash through her eyes as she stood to face him. He hadn't said anything and finally she had stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around him and he had allowed himself to do the same. For a moment, he stood there taking in the feeling of her wrapped in his arms, a situation that he had found himself imagining more and more all the time.

Finally she had taken a step back but still they remained in each other's arms. She had stared intently at him and he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't see the look in her eyes and know that he wouldn't be seeing it in a few weeks. He tried to tell himself that he wouldn't allow himself to fall, though he already knew at that point he was only fooling himself, because the fall had actually taken place months ago and he truly wondered if he'd ever recover from it. But still, he couldn't imagine giving himself over so completely to the feelings and then having to walk away from them in a few weeks. So instead, he had looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze and in that moment she had completely pulled away.

She had ignored him from that point on, making excuses to stay away from him at any cost. And that had only reiterated the fact of how much he would miss her and he was torn. He hated not having any type of relationship with her at all, but then he would think to himself how much harder it would be if he had experienced it first hand and then had to go back to a life without her. The whole situation was literally eating him alive.

And that's how he had found himself on the porch swing once again, strumming absentmindedly when suddenly a song came to mind. He knew how much Casey loved John Mayer and somehow the beginning of this song fit them perfectly. And without a second thought he began to play and sing:

_Back to you_

_It always comes around_

_Back to you_

_I tried to forget you_

_I tried to stay away_

_But it's too late_

_Over you_

_I'm never over_

_Over you_

_Something about you_

_It's just the way you move_

_The way you move me_

_I'm so good at forgetting_

_And I quit every game I play_

_But forgive me, love_

_I can't turn and walk away_

Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder and he stopped, just sitting there in the quiet for a moment, taking it all in once again. But this time he wouldn't let his silence cause her to leave. He wouldn't let her walk away from him once again.

He sat the guitar down beside him and stood. He walked around behind the swing and reached out his hand, saying almost in a whisper, "I need to show you something."

She gave him a confused look but reached out and took his hand and let him lead her around to the side of the house, where they would be out of the sight of prying eyes. He really didn't care if anyone saw them or found out, it wasn't that at all. But he wanted this to just be about just the two of them, no distractions.

As soon as he was sure they were out of sight, he slowly leaned his face towards hers until their lips met.

He could literally feel her heart begin to beat faster and she shook slightly as she pulled away. "What was that? What are you doing?" she asked him as she searched his eyes for answers.

And this time he didn't look away, instead he looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I want to show you how I feel. I want to tell you how I feel," he said before moving to cover her lips with his again.

And once again she pulled away from him, but this time her hand lifted and she ran her thumb across his cheek as she almost begged, "Tell me, please tell me. I need to hear you say it."

He smiled down at her. He smiled because he could do it now, the fear was gone and all that was left was the anticipation of actually saying it and hopefully of hearing it in return.

He wrapped one arm around her waist tightly and with his other hand he took hers and lifted it to his mouth, kissing it gently. "I love you Case," he whispered softly.

And once again he saw the tears form in her eyes, but he knew these were different, these were happy tears.

Casey threw her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of her neck, as if savoring for just a moment longer, everything that had just transpired. And then finally, she pulled away, just enough to be able to look him in the eyes as she told him the words he longed to hear, "I love you." And then she brought her lips back to his, showing him just how she felt too.

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**What do you think?**


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